Revolution
by Alex Glaven
Summary: *by Akiko* It's nearly time...for the Revolution that would shake the world...
1. Prologue

Yeah, the summary was cheesey, I know. ^_^;;; Anyway, this is a small  
(SMALL?!) project that a friend and I have been working on for  
about...four years now. That's a LONG time...anyway, this is the final  
version of the fic that has been in the works for years. Please, enjoy.  
  
Revolution  
  
Prologue  
  
Professor Orville slipped through the high double doors of knotty  
pine. The circular office he entered was nearly devoid of furniture,  
only a handful of whicker chairs and a large desk of the same white pine  
graced the room. The crystal chandelier above glittered in the sunlight  
that spilled from many windows and skylights. A breeze from an open  
window caused the white curtains to billow, and rippled his deep violet  
robes of office.  
  
"We need to talk," he directed the statement to the elderly man  
sitting at the window seat. Sorcerer Oak, known as Professor Oak to the  
rest of the world, was currently having tea with Agatha, the Ghost  
Mistress. At his entrance the Ghost Mistress stood, bowed slightly, and  
made her exit. Sorcerer Oak stood himself, but refrained from bowing.  
  
"Talk away," he said after a moment.  
  
"It's nearly time, isn't it."  
  
It wasn't a question. Sighing, Sorcerer Oak looked up to the  
high vaulted ceiling. Large, six-pointed stars of the clearest crystal  
incased in stone allowed sunlight to bathe the tiles of whitest marble  
with its soft glow. The effect was stunning, the entire room seemed to  
emanate a snowy purity.  
  
After a few moments of contemplation, he looked back to Professor  
Orville. "I don't like to think about it, but yes, it's nearly time,"  
his brow furrowed. "Of course they might always be late bloomers."  
  
"No, the late Head of Council assured me that the Awakening would  
occur at this time," Orville said. "Do you think they should come  
here?"  
  
Sorcerer Oak shook his graying head. "No, let them enjoy what is  
left of their childhood. However, it might be wise to gather them in one  
place, particularly with those who already know."  
  
"I'll make the proper arrangements," Orville seemed to be  
satisfied with the suggestion. "Goodbye, Sorcerer Oak."  
  
He turned with a swish of his robes and left the office the same  
way he had come.  
  
"Sam?" Agatha re-entered after the Head of Council left. She  
placed one hand on his elbow. "Sam, what is it? Are you alright?"  
  
"It's nearly time indeed." the Sorcerer turned to the window.   
"Nearly time indeed."  
  
I hope that caught your interest! Next chapter, Ash's conquest of the  
Orange and Indigo leagues and his new best friend, can you guess who it  
is? ^_^ Possibly some hints AAMR, even though the rest of the fic will  
be strictly GAMR. By the way, this is based on the manga by Toshihiro  
Ono rather than the anime, though a few of the anime characters may come  
into play, there's so few characters in the manga! *sighs*  
Alright, please review so I know your opinions! 


	2. Chapter 1 pt A

Chapter 1  
  
"Now, Dragonite! Dragon Rage!"  
  
Ash had to think fast. There was no possible way that Charizard  
could escape, not in the condition it was in. "You think so? Charizard,  
counter with YOUR Dragon Rage!"  
  
Charizard looked exhausted, worse than exhausted. Dark bruises  
and scratches scored its orange scales, and its wings were sagging. But  
somehow, it managed to open its mouth, a sphere of brilliantly blue  
flames gathering inbetween the razor sharp teeth.   
  
Dragonite did the same, it didn't even look tired.  
  
The two attacks collided in mid-air, exploding upon contact. Ash  
held up one arm to protect his eyes from the resulting dust cloud. When  
the air cleared, Dragonite was hovering a few feet above the rocky  
ground.  
  
Charizard was lying on its side, gasping for air.  
"Charizard has fainted!" the announcers voice rose over the roar of the  
crowd. Ash couldn't take his eyes off of the Fire Pokemon, it had been  
taken down by Dragonite, just like that. "Now the only Pokemon Ash has  
left is Pikachu! But Pikachu's health is still suffering from its battle  
with Ditto!"  
  
Ash was at a loss. He had come this far and he was being stopped  
by a single Pokemon. One lousy Dragonite-  
  
"Pii!" Pikachu jumped onto the battling platform's railing.  
  
"Pikachu." Ash looked at the mouse Pokemon with surprise for a  
moment, before the look of shock in his eyes was replaced by one of sheer  
determination. "Dragonite is yours!"  
  
"Pika!" Pikachu winked, then leapt down into the battlefield.  
  
"Let's make a match out of this!" Drake smirked, looking  
confident. "COME ON!"  
  
"Quick Attack!" Ash ordered.   
  
Pikachu leapt at the Dragon type, all of the speed she could  
muster.  
  
Dragonite sidestepped the attack with relative ease.  
  
Ash almost panicked. But he couldn't, if only for Pikachu's  
sake. "Hang in there!"  
  
"Pikaa!" Pikachu charged the Dragonite again. This time  
Dragonite didn't bother to dodge. It turned with speed that seemed  
impossible, and hit the electric mouse with its tail. Pikachu went  
flying tail over ears. "Chuuu!" she wailed. While still in midair, she  
flipped over and used a Thunderbolt. "Pikkaaa!"  
  
Dragonite almost carelessly used a light screen, deflecting the  
current of electricity. Pikachu growled in frustration, and went for a  
body slam. She was deflected as easily as the first time, this time sent  
crashing to the ground.  
  
"Pikachu is giving its all, but to no avail! It's a total  
mismatch!" the announcer was saying, barely piercing through Ash's  
concentration as Pikachu was hit again. "It's almost like a child verses  
an adult!"  
  
"Ash!" Misty's voice came over the intercom, the speakers making  
her sound tinny. "Ash, pull Pikachu out now! If Pikachu doesn't have a  
fighting chance, there's no reason you should wear it out like that!"  
  
Ash felt ashamed, Misty had voiced exactly what he had been  
thinking. But now, he knew. "This is MY battle, and I'll fight it MY  
way! So BUTT OUT!!"  
  
Misty was about to say more, but he didn't let her finish it, he  
slammed one fist onto the intercom, shorting out his link with her.   
  
"Pikachu still want to WIN," he said to himself, softly. "I  
CAN'T pull out NOW!"  
  
"Time to finish this," Drake said, and Ash could tell he was  
serious. "Dragonite! Hyper Beam!"  
  
Ash gasped, having half a mind to pull Pikachu back. But he  
couldn't not now. Not now.  
  
Dragonite flapped its wings, rising higher in the stadium. It  
threw back its head, an orb of golden energy gathering just in front of  
its agape mouth.  
  
"There's no escape for Pikachu while Dragonite readies its  
attack!" the announcer screamed into his microphone, even though a hush  
had fallen over the crowd. "This is the END!!"  
  
Dragonite's head snapped forward, releasing a Hyper Beam like a  
small sun careening directly at Pikachu.  
  
The explosion that followed rivaled any that had ever been seen  
in the stadium before. Brilliant white light blossomed, hiding Pikachu  
from view and making it appear that Dragonite was glowing with some  
ethereal light.  
  
As quickly as it had begun, the light faded, leaving the crowd  
staring at a stadium devoid of life.  
  
"And it's OVER!" the announcer cried out. "Wait a minute!   
Where's Pikachu?"  
  
He paused as if expecting an answer from Ash. The young Pokemon  
Trainer had none to give, he was looking up. "Pikachu is nowhere to be  
found! Where could Pikachu BE!?"  
  
"Heh," Ash grinned.  
  
The audience and the announcer followed Ash's gaze. Pikachu was  
in the air, surrounded by a pale gold orb.   
  
"Unbelievable!" the announcer yelled, ignoring the fact that his  
audience had fallen into a stunned silence. "Pikachu wrapped itself in a  
reflect for self defense, used its tail as a sail, and rode the shock  
waves from the explosion into the air!"  
  
"Look! Pikachu is ABOVE Dragonite!" Drake exclaimed rather  
needlessly. "That couldn't have been PLANNED, could it?"  
  
Ash smiled. *Well, you'll never find out, now, will you. And  
since Dragonite's main advantage was that it could fly.*  
  
Pikachu plummeted from the air, escaped the confines of her wrap  
attack and alighted on Dragonite's head. Immediately she fell flat,  
gripping the other Pokemon's skull.  
  
"Pikachu's clamped on, and Dragonite can't get it off!"  
  
Dragonite, who had been mostly silent the entire fight, began  
whining, trying to reach Pikachu with its claws and shaking its head  
violently. "Niiite! Niiite!"  
  
"Pii!" Pikachu cried. Then, her tiny nails digging into the  
crevices between Dragonite's scales, she climbed from the back of the  
Dragon-type's head to the side of her mouth. "Pika."  
  
"Draaa!" Dragonite opened its mouth to whimper, and Pikachu took  
full advantage of it. Dragonite closed its mouth, to find it full of  
Pikachu.  
  
Drake seemed to realize what was going on. "Oh NO!"  
  
A slight buzzing noise was the only warning Dragonite had. The  
entire stadium lit up from the electricity Pikachu unleashed, the yellow  
currents wiring around Dragonite and knocking on to its back.  
  
Dragonite didn't get back up.  
  
"That Pikachu is SCARY!" the announcer couldn't seem to believe  
what he was saying. "It crawled right into Dragonite's snout and zapped  
it with a thunder attack! After suffering an internal attack, even the  
lighty Dragonite is down!"  
  
Pikachu crawled from Dragonite's mouth, shook herself off, and  
began grooming herself. "Pika!"  
  
"And the winner is Ash!" the results thrilled the crowd. "Ladies  
and gentlemen! The Orange Islands have a new hero!"  
  
Ash barely heard a word of it. He was running out onto the  
arena. "Pikachu!" he stopped just short of the electric mouse, a wide  
grin on his face. "Pikachu, you rock!"  
  
"Pikapi!" Pikachu bounded up into his arms, and he hugged her.  
  
"You're my pride and joy."  
  
  
"Chaa!"   
  
Ash released the Pokemon and turned around, to see Drake on his  
knees, returning his Dragonite. "Drake!"  
  
"Congratulations, Ash," Drake smiled and got to his feet. "That  
was the best battle I've had in ages."  
  
"Drake," Ash took off his ever present League Cap and bowed.   
"Thanks for the fantastic match!"  
  
The audience, already shouting, roared with cheers. Ash looked  
up, and saw Jessie and James were among those cheering, and Misty was  
crying. He grinned at her, and she covered her face with her hands and  
began sobbing.  
  
*She is SO weird.*  
  
***  
  
"Representing the Indigo League and the Elite Four, Lance!"   
  
The stadium erupted with cheers as Lance, the Dragon Master and  
head of the Elite Four, made his way out to the battle field, his cape  
flowing behind him.  
  
*Stupid regulations.*  
  
"And the challenger, Champion of the Orange League, Ash Ketchum  
of Pallet Town!"  
  
If possible, the cheering became louder. Lance looked over at  
his opponent. Ash was nearly to his shoulder, and had the awkward look  
of someone who isn't quite finished growing. He had black hair under a  
red league cap, and determination shone in his eyes.  
  
"It's an honor to battle with you," once they had met in the  
middle of the arena, Ash removed his cap and bowed.   
  
"It's a shared honor," Lance bowed in return, and shook his hand.  
  
***  
  
They turned and walked back to the platforms participants in the  
League normally battled from. Today banners sporting the League symbol  
fluttered from the railings, today was a day that would go down in  
history.  
  
Lance climbed the ladder of his platform and walked to the  
railing, looking across to where Ash was giving last minute encouragement  
to his Pikachu.  
  
*Orange League Champion or not, I still don't see how he got this  
far,* Lance mused. *He's just a kid, Agatha should have wiped the floor  
with him.*  
  
Above him the announcer was listing off the rules. "This is a  
six on six Pokemon battle, no time limit. The challenger can change  
Pokemon at will, while the opposer must use the Pokemon he chooses until  
it is out of the battle!"  
  
Lance ignored the announcer, he knew the rules well enough, and  
he had a battle to win. "Aerodactyl, GO!"  
  
He detached a pokeball from his belt and tossed it almost  
carelessly in the air. The red and white sphere dissolved into a swirl  
of light that formed into his Aerodactyl. The ancient rock type  
screeched, sending chills down Lance's spine.  
  
*Let's see how he handles this.*  
  
"Go, Bulbasaur!" Ash called out his own Pokemon. "Razor leaf,  
now!"  
  
"Dodge it," Lance commanded.  
  
And dodge it Aerodactyl did. It dived down, avoiding the attack  
altogether.   
  
To be met by Bulbasaur's next attack, a vine whip that wrapped  
around the Rock Pokemon's neck, and threw it into the side of the  
stadium.  
  
"And Aerodactyl has been thrown out of the ring!" the announcer  
reported. "Barely thirty seconds into the match! This kid is GOOD!"  
  
"Aerodactyl, return," Lance said, calmly. "Go, Dragonair! Ice  
beam!"  
  
Dragonair's eyes glowed, just for an instant, and a shaft of ice  
hurtled at Bulbasaur, hitting the grass type head on, and it was thrown  
back into the base of Ash's platform.  
  
"Bulbasaur return!" Ash recalled the Pokemon. "Go, Charizard!"  
  
*That's right,* Lance grinned. *Pull out your strongest Pokemon  
before the match has really even gotten started.*  
  
"Dragonair, use Ice Beam again!"   
  
"Dodge it and follow up with a fire spin and a flame thrower!"  
Ash quickly commanded. Charizard beat its wings and was airborn. The  
ice beam struck Ash's platform where Bulbasaur had hit moments before,  
missing Charizard by inches.  
  
The fire lizard threw back its head, and let out an inferno that  
swirled around Dragonair. It didn't pause for an instant, simply used a  
flame thrower that shot through the heart of the fire.  
  
By the time the fire had died down, Dragonair was out of  
comission.  
  
It was then that Lance glanced into the crowd and caught sight of  
the one person he had never expected to see at the match.  
  
*Head of Council?* He's never come to a match before unless.  
his gaze leveled on Ash. *Unless he's the one*  
  
***  
  
Ash groaned. This was almost a repeat of the battle with Drake.   
All of his Pokemon were gone, except for Pikachu, whom he had already  
used against Lance's Gyarados.   
  
And now he was having to face ANOTHER Dragonite.  
  
*I'll die happy if I never see another Dragonite again,* he  
decided. *Drake was bad enough, but Lance had two. Two! Well, I guess  
that's why nobody has beaten him before.*  
  
"Don't try the little stunt that you used with Drake," Lance  
advised him. "I know everything about that little strategy, and there is  
no way I'm going to fall into your little plan."  
  
"Y'think?" Ash rolled his eyes.  
  
"Yo, Ash."  
  
Ash looked over to where a tiny screen had appeared, revealing  
Gary's face. They had been traveling together for some time now, after  
mending a friendship that had been basically in need of serious help for  
years. "What? If you have any advice, you know I probably won't listen  
to you."  
  
"Well, fine, but it's good advice, your loss," the Gary face on  
the screen made a face at him.  
  
In the background, he could hear Misty yell something. He  
couldn't make out the exact words, and he wasn't sure that he wanted to.   
Misty had gone back to Cerulean after he had won the Orange League, she  
had only come out to watch his battle.  
  
"Ooh, mature, Gary. I'm in the middle of the biggest battle of  
my life and you're making faces at me," he replied sarcastically,  
deciding not to pay any attention to what Misty was saying. "What is  
it?"  
  
"Dragonite is stronger, faster, and more experienced then  
Pikachu."  
  
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, can you make this quick?   
They're expecting me to pull my next Pokemon."  
"Pretend you're thinking really hard, just try not to burn out  
your last light bulb," Gary smirked at him. "Well, Dragonite might be  
better than Pikachu in every way, but what if it couldn't move."  
  
"Thunder wave," Ash muttered. "Good."  
  
"Your welcome, Ash," Gary said in a sing song voice.  
  
Ash ignored him. "Pikachu, go! You know what to do!"  
  
"Pika!" she agreed, bounding out onto the field.  
  
"Dragonite, body slam!" Lance ordered.  
  
"Wait for it" Ash muttered. Pikachu crouched low. "Wait for  
it NOW!"  
  
The electric mouse sprang into the air just as Dragonite was  
about to hit it. The Dragon Type passed harmlessly underneath, and  
Pikachu landed on its back.  
  
Lance looked like he was cursing up a storm.   
  
*It's not over yet,* Ash smirked, it was actually Gary's  
trademark, but who was counting?   
  
"Pika CHUU!" Pikachu shrieked, little bolts of lightening  
emanating from her cheeks. They skittered along Dragonite's hide,  
hitting all of the vital nerve points. Dragonite faltered, then fell to  
the ground, twitching.  
  
"Hit it with everything you've got!" Ash yelled. "Thunder!"  
  
Pikachu shrieked again, this time letting out a massive current  
of electricity. Dragonite squealed in pain, and then lay still.  
  
"Dragonite is unable to battle!" the announcer seemed to be  
thrilled with the results. "In what appears to be the shortest battle to  
ever take place with a Dragonite, Ash Ketchum, at fourteen, is the  
youngest League Champion in history!"  
  
Elation spread through him. *I did it oh my God! I did it! I did  
it!*   
  
He looked up to grin at Lance. The Dragon Master was on his  
knees, gripping the railing, his shoulders shaking as if he were crying.  
  
*Some guys just don't know how to take a loss.*  
  
"Ash!"  
  
He looked up. Gary, Misty, and Brock were all waving to him. He  
grinned, feeling tears stinging the corners of his eyes, and waved back.   
Misty was crying again, Gary was jumping up and down like he was four,  
and Brock looked very proud.  
  
"Pika pi!"  
  
He turned to look at one small Pokemon that had taken him to  
where he was now.  
  
"Pikachu you did it again," he grinned.  
  
"Pika," she smiled up at him.  
  
***  
  
"What are you going to do now, Ash?"   
  
Ash looked over at Misty. "Dunno, probably travel around again.   
I've seen a lot, but there's a lot more out there. Heading back to the  
gym?"  
  
"Yeah," she smiled, but her eyes were sad. "I'll see you  
around?"  
  
"Yeah," he grinned at her, and she burst into tears. "Uh Mist,  
it's alright. It's not like we're never going to see you again."  
  
"It's just you're so grown up!" she wailed. "And you've beaten  
Lance and you've achieved your dream and...and..."  
  
Whatever else she was going to say was drowned out in her sobs,  
and she threw her arms around his neck.  
  
"And Ash finally gets some," Gary started laughing.  
  
Brock looked dangerously close to smacking the younger, auburn  
haired boy. "Shut up."  
  
"Am I interrupting anything?"  
  
They all looked up, it was Lance. Misty released Ash and bowed  
slightly. "No, nothing at all."  
  
"I'm sure I was, but I guess that doesn't matter now," Lance  
smiled at her, then turned to Ash. "Congratulations, Ash."  
  
"Thank you," Ash found himself shaking hands with the Dragon  
Master for the second time that day. "You're an amazing battler, and two  
Dragonite's."  
  
Ash trailed off. Lance's blue eyes narrowed, as if he were  
studying the younger trainer. "We'll need to discuss your future, now  
that you're the League Champion. Come with me."  
  
"Bye Mist, bye Brock," Ash turned to his two friends. "I'll see  
you around, right?"  
  
"Just call if you need anything," Misty was crying again, but she  
managed to not hug him.   
  
"And don't be a stranger in Pewter!" Brock punched him lightly on  
the arm.  
  
"Are you all finished? Good. Come with me, Ash."  
  
"Gary, I'll meet you in the Pokemon Center we're staying at," Ash  
told his friend.  
  
"'Kay."  
  
"Now, Ash, you will be permitted to travel around, but when the  
League competitions come around you will be expected to be here," Lance  
said once they were away from the others. "We will give you a monthly  
withdrawal from the League's accounts for your travels, but if you are  
asked to return or ordered to stay within a vicinity, you will obey those  
orders immediately, or your funding will be pulled and your title will be  
passed to someone else."  
  
"Fun," Ash muttered. "Being the League Champion is going to be a  
real BLAST."  
  
  
Hope that caught your interest, next chapter is more of the fun stuff!   
^_^ And yes, Ash and Gary become friends again at the end of the manga.   
Which was good for me, Gary is one of my favorite characters. ^_^  
Don't worry, you will eventually find out everything. Eventually. ^_^   
Special thanks to all my reviewers and to the wonderful person that lets  
me rant myself out over the phone and e-mail, the great and wonderful  
Hare-chan! Please, review! And not just "yay" or "nay", I thrive off of  
constructive critism! Tell me what you think I'm doing wrong! ^_^ Ja  
ne! 


	3. Chapter 1 pt B

Okay, I'm back with another chapter! Sorry this took so long! ^_^ The  
next few parts shouldn't take NEARLY as long. I just had to make a bunch  
of plot changing, crucial decisions for this part and that's why it took  
forever and a day. Well, enjoy! Yay! I have ten reviews! Thanks to  
all who reviewed!   
  
Revolution  
  
Chapter 1, Part 2  
  
Sunlight flashed off of the windows of passing cars, causing shadow  
lights to dance briefly across the wall and flee in a matter of moments.   
The day was hot and muggy, and the building across the street could  
barely be seen through the shimmering heat waves that rose from the acrid  
smelling tar and cement.  
  
With a sigh, Misty cupped her chin in her hands. She had been in the  
Pokemon Center for nearly an hour now, and not a single person had come  
in.  
  
She had been working at the Center for nearly a year now, mostly as a  
waitress in the adjoining café. Beyond the café was the Breeding Center  
Brock had opened up, and the residential area was beyond that. Until she  
had found out there were two job openings, she had only been staying  
there as a visit to an old friend. But Cherry Grove City was charming,  
and above all, was far away from her sisters.  
  
"You holdin' up there, Misty?" Duplica stuck her head around the door  
jam, her green ponytails bobbing.  
  
"How can I not? There's been absolutely nothing to do," Misty groaned.   
"It's been so slow today."  
  
"Just checkin'!" Duplica disappeared.  
  
Usually they had several trainers on their way to the gym in Violet City  
coming through Cherry Grove, but not lately. Business had been bad at  
the café, too, especially since the band had quit nearly a month ago.  
  
Duplica's older brother Mikel had opened the Center when their parents  
had died. He had thought that a café in the small city would keep them  
out of debt, and he had been right.  
  
Until now.  
  
As Misty sat there, lost in thought, the door opened, the bell above it  
ringing joyfully. She sat up straighter when the two trainers, both of  
them boys and about her age, walked in.  
  
"Hello, welcome to the Cherry Grove City Pokemon Center!" she said with  
false brightness. She wondered if the Nurse Joy's ever felt like this.   
Half lost in thought, she set out two trays, each able to hold six  
pokeballs. "Please put your pokeballs on the tray and I'll heal your  
Pokemon for you."  
  
"I win," the auburn haired, and obviously older boy, grinned at his  
younger companion, who sighed and pulled a quarter out of his pocket.   
"And she's not even a Nurse Joy."  
  
"You're right, you're right" his friend sighed, again, and relinquished  
the coin.  
  
"Of course. I may not always be right, but I am never wrong,"" he  
smirked, then noticed his friend's dejected look. "Lord, Ash, it's just  
a quarter. It's not the end of the world or anything.  
  
Ash fingered a bit of lint that had accompanied the quarter. "Yeah, I  
know. But it's also the last of my money. How much do you have?"  
  
"Now? 'Bout fifty cents. I'm so gla-"  
  
"Ash! Gary!" she squealed, bouncing to her feet.  
  
They both really looked at her for the first time, and immediately  
cringed.  
  
"Hey, Mist!" Ash said shakily. It had only been a year, but he looked  
much older. The red cap she was used to seeing had disappeared, and his  
black hair fell into utter disarray without it. "I think we should be  
asking you that question, actually."  
  
"Pika pi!"  
  
"Right, sorry," he picked up his Pikachu and set it on the counter, where  
it simply lay there. "Um...so, what are you doing here?"  
  
"What, no hello?" she put her fists on her hips and glared at him.  
  
"Hi, Misty, it's great to see you again," Gary replied this time,  
grinning at her.   
"How've you been? We're just fine, thank you. So, tell us, what are you  
doing here?"  
  
"Working," she carefully placed Pikachu on the tray. "The Cerulean Gym  
is being run by my sisters, so I decided to run around. Well? Answer my  
question. Now."  
  
"Or there will be hell to pay, we know," Ash groaned. "We're just  
passing through."  
  
"We're broke, we're hungry, we're dirty, we're tired, and I personally  
don't have time for this," Gary added, his grin replaced by a sour look.   
It was almost funny. "Now, Ash, you can sit here and reminisce about the  
'grand old times' you two had, but I'm going to go see what they have to  
eat around here."  
  
Misty smiled and shook her head. "He hasn't changed at all, has he."  
  
"Nope," Ash shrugged.  
  
"Oh, yes, and the part where they talk about me like I'm not there," Gary  
turned away, sounding exasperated. "Wonderful."  
  
"Well, not much, anyway," Ash grinned at his friend. "But that food  
sounds rather tempting right about now."  
  
"Okay, okay, you can go to the café, it's just on the other side of that  
door over there," she pointed at the door, just as it opened, allowing a  
spiky-haired young man to come through. He was much taller than anyone  
else in the room, with ruggedly good looks, a strong jaw, squinted eyes  
and the scrubby beginnings of a goatee on his chin.   
  
"Hey, Misty, are you-"  
  
He paused and turned towards the newly arrived duo.  
  
"Hi Brock," Ash waved.  
  
"It's squinty!" Gary started laughing.  
  
"Hello, Ash, Gary," the last word was said rather coldly before Brock  
turned his attention back to Misty. "I was wondering if you had some  
super potion. Some of the Rattata in the Center freaked out and started  
trying to kill each other."  
  
"Yeah, somewhere," Misty began searching underneath the counter. "How  
are the Pichu?"  
  
Brock's left eye twitched ever so slightly. "They're great.   
Really great."  
  
Everything was said between clenched teeth, and the fact that he was  
growling the words made him even less convincing.  
  
"Fine, ignore us," Gary folded his arms and glared at them. "You'd think  
they'd have a bit more respect for a great trainer and the League  
Champion."  
  
"Was that SUPPOSED to sound like an after thought?" Ash asked  
sarcastically.   
  
"Maybe," Gary shrugged. "Anywho, are we going to get food any time  
soon?"  
  
"And a bath or at least a shower," Ash added. "And a place to crash for  
the night would be nice too."  
  
Brock looked at him. "You look like you're about to die."  
  
"I am. Right here. Right now. On the floor," Ash nodded.  
  
"Right."  
  
"There! I KNEW we had some!" Misty held up two flasks of super potion.  
  
"Thanks," Brock accepted them and turned towards the door he had come  
through. "Come on, guys, I'm sure we can find something in the kitchens.  
If no, I can whip something up really fast."  
  
"Eight course meal from two cups of peanut butter, just like old times!"  
Ash laughed.  
  
"Peanut butter doesn't sound half bad now," Gary said, a thoughtful  
expression on his face. Brock gave him a weird look and led them both  
into the café.  
  
The room beyond was carpeted in a pale pink. Small round tables  
surrounded by chairs were set up evenly around the room. At the far end  
several unused instruments gathered dust on a stage, a rather large  
portion of the carpet in front of it was lined out for dancing. A bar  
lined with stools curved from the wall they were currently standing by to  
the one perpendicular to it. Standing behind this was a young man with  
auburn dreadlocks, bobbing his head to music blasting from his  
headphones. It was recognizable as "Hemorrhage" by Fuel from where they  
were standing.  
  
"No, don't tell me," Ash put one hand over his eyes, then removed it.   
"Alright, I'm not hallucinating. Todd's here, too-"  
  
"Yeah, you should consider moving here," Brock chuckled.  
  
"No way! That would look like some freaky coincidence that would look  
like it'd been planned when really it hadn't and oh, I dunno, I'll  
consider it."  
  
"Todd, the guy who takes pictures, right?" Gary asked.  
  
"Yep, that's Todd, the weirdest person I know."  
  
Todd had caught the tail end of the conversation between songs. He  
turned off his CD player and pulled up his headphones. "And gettng  
weirder by the day, I assure you. Am I imagining things, or is that  
Ashy-boy?"  
  
"Last time I checked it was me," Ash crossed the room and took a seat on  
one of the stools. "Oh, this is Gary Oak, by the way."  
  
"Thank you so much for remembering that I'm here," Gary, who had followed  
him, said sarcastically. He extended on hand to Todd. "Well, I suppose  
I could get along with you. You act like you're good and crazy."  
  
"That I am!" Todd shook the proffered hand. "When you're a Russel you  
can't be anything else, well, 'cept dead."  
  
"Sounds good to me," Gary looked around the room. "Nice place. You  
might want to fire your decorator."  
  
He motioned to the pink carpet. Brock and Todd grimaced, the offending  
shade of the floor was a constant source of complaint for them, too.  
  
"Hey, are you here to join the band? Oh, that's great!" a young woman  
with waist length brown hair had entered the room, seen Ash, and ran  
strait for him. She began running her fingers through his hair. "Well,  
we'll have to do something with this, maybe give you an earring, and I  
think you'll do great! If you can sing, that is. If not, I guess you  
could lip sync. Oh, and your friend here," she turned to Gary, looking  
him up and down. "Change the hair, maybe put him in red."  
  
Ash stared at her, something akin to terror on his face. "Do I know  
you?"  
  
"Ash, I want you to meet my girlfriend, Elisabeth Schnitzler," Brock  
introduced her.  
  
"Call me Liz," she waved all introductions aside. "What I mean is, you  
could do great for the lead singer or whatever for our band! You  
DEFINITELY have the look."  
  
Ash held up his hands, looking more than a little confused. "What?"  
  
"I could ask the same thing." Gary muttered.  
  
"Aren't you here to addition for the band?" Liz asked.  
  
"No," they said together.  
  
"Rats," Liz turned to her boyfriend for help. "Brock, what are we going  
to do? If we don't get a band soon we'll lost all of our PAYING  
customers and then we'll have to sell the café and live on the street and  
I'll have to sell all of my clothes to stay alive!"  
  
"I take it that's a lot of clothes," Ahs muttered to Brock.  
  
"She has a walk in closet the size of the Titanic, and it's overflowing,"  
Brock confirmed.  
  
"Well, what are we going to do?" Liz repeated, stamping one  
sandal-strapped foot down.  
  
He smiled reassuringly. "Mikel and Duplica will think of something. But  
in the meantime we have enough business in the Breeding Center and with  
Duplica's imitating shows that we don't have to worry about not having a  
band, or having to live on the streets."  
  
"And my clothes?"  
  
"They're perfectly save, I promise," a man with teal hair strolled in.   
He carried himself like the owner of the establishment, and he had a  
little pin that said "Owner and Manager" on his shirt. "Now, what's this  
about a band?"  
  
"Well, I wanted this Ash guy and his weird friend to audition, but they  
said no," Liz pouted.  
  
"Oh, great, it's happening already," Gary glared at Ash. "I've already  
de-generated to 'his weird friend'. This is all YOUR fault, you know."  
  
"Name's Mikel," the owner introduced himself. "You two trainers?"  
  
"Friends of mine, Mike," Duplica entered the room through a different  
door than Mikel. "Ash and Gary. And yes, they are trainers. And yes,  
they DO need a place to stay for the night."  
  
Mikel shrugged. "Fine by me. How long will you be staying?"  
  
"Not to lo-" Ash was cut off by a high pitched, single instrument  
rendition of the League's opening ceremony anthem. Frowning, Ash dug his  
cell-phone from his pocket. "Hello?"  
  
"Wow, on the second ring, we must be nearly in the same time zone," the  
voice of the Dragon Master held a hint of amusement. "Where are you?"  
  
"Hello, Lance. I'm fine, thanks for asking. How are you?" Ash asked  
sarcastically.  
  
"Just answer the question," Lance sounded exasperated. Ash was pretty  
sure the Dragon Master was trying to pull his hair out.   
  
"We're in the Cherry Grove City Café," Ahs answered. "Bumped into a few  
old friends-"  
  
"I guessed," Lance didn't explain himself. "Good, glad I caught you  
before you left. I want you to stay there, and that's an order. All of  
the arrangements will be made through the League."  
  
"Um...okay," Ash began, but Lance had already hung up. He looked at Gary,  
who was wearing a bemused expression. "Does ANYBODY say goodbye anymore?  
Or hello for that matter."  
  
"Lance told us to stay here, huh?" Gary leaned up against the counter.  
  
"You're taking this awfully well."  
  
"It could be worse," he shrugged. "He could take away your funding or  
the tent."  
  
"Heaven forbid that he take away the tent," Ash gave his friend a sour  
look. He noticed that everyone was staring at him. "What?"  
  
"You're staying here? Oh, that's so cool!" Liz began playing with his  
hair again. "Let me give you a hair cut! Please?"  
  
"Just let her, Ash," Brock advised him.  
  
"Alright."  
  
Mikel shrugged. "I suppose I'll be getting a call from the League soon."  
  
"Probably," Gary nodded. "So, where do we stay?  
  
*****  
  
Yeah, a bit more of a light hearted chapter this time, but it gets  
better. Trust me. Oh, and I don't own anything, except for Liz, who's  
just whacked. ^_^   
Yay! Lance! ^_^ And he was FINALLY in the anime! And he had pink  
hair! ::dies:: This is an outrage! Oh well...I'll just give him red  
hair...yeah...  
Anywho, what are you waiting for? There's a button down there with your  
name on it! Okay, so it doesn't have your name on it, but click on it  
anyways and leave me a nice little review! ^_^ Or not... 


	4. Chapter 1, Part 3

Alright, first, thanks to all of my reviewers! ^_^ I love you all!  
Second off, this story is going to be moved to a different account come  
the next part. So, if you want to continue checking it out, it'll be  
under the name "Ami Lee Richards". Just thought I'd warn you!  
And now, the story!  
  
Chapter 1, Part 3  
  
Misty came into the kitchen and began rattling off orders to Brock. Ash  
sighed, draping himself over the back of his chair. He wasn't expected  
to help, but sitting around all day was boring. Especially when it was  
the same thing day in . . . and day out . . . or about six months . . .  
  
"Can I do something?" he asked.  
  
"Um…no," Misty smiled obnoxiously at him. "You'd forget any orders you'd  
take, you'd probably burn anything you tried to cook, and we really don't  
need any extra help around here."  
  
"Hey, I'm a pretty good cook, and I wouldn't forget!" Ash glared at her.   
Gary chose that moment to come in through the other door. He bopped Ash  
on the top of the head with a magazine in passing. "Yup, mind like a  
steel trap, that one," he sat down next to Ash. "What are we talking  
about?"  
  
"Oh, Ash wanted to help out and I told him he couldn't," Misty waved it  
away. "Those orders going to be pretty fast, Brock?"  
  
"I hate it when they don't want onions," Brock muttered by way of answer.  
"Have to start from scratch all over again . . ."  
  
"I could help . . ." Ash muttered, turning his glare from Misty who  
wasn't paying attention to a spot on the floor. He was trying to decide  
what had caused the spot when there was a twinge in his left wrist.   
"Ow."  
  
"What, the grease didn't get you, did it?" Todd, who was half listening  
to the conversation and pulling a basket of fries from the fryer asked.  
  
"I don't think so . . . my wrist just started hurting," he held up his  
hand. Another twinge hit him. "Ow."  
  
"Pika pi."  
  
Everyone turned their attention to the ground, where Pikachu was sitting.  
  
  
"Oh, hey, Pikachu," Ash grinned at the electric mouse.  
  
"Pika," she took a faltering step forward.   
  
"Ow," Ash winced. "Hey, why are you limping?"  
  
Brock abandoned whatever was on the stove to Misty, kneeling down next to  
the Pokemon. "Hm, she must have sprained it. She's favoring her front  
left paw." He looked up at Ash. "Odd . . . your left wrist hurts . . ."  
  
"Coincidence!" Misty sang out. "They probably both went through the same  
obstacle course and sprained the same thing."  
  
Brock scooped up Pikachu and strode over to Misty, pulling her to the  
side. They had a rushed whispered conference, Brock looking deadly  
serious, and Misty looking worried and more than a little upset.  
  
"No," she said, loud enough that Ash and Gary could hear it. Brock  
shushed her and continued talking.  
  
"Wonder what that's about," Gary stared at the pair.  
  
"Oh, don't you know? Brock's cheating on Liz with Misty," Ash replied  
calmly, massaging his wrist.  
  
"Wild passionate monkey love, eh?" Gary grinned. "Funny…that means  
Misty's cheating on me…"  
  
Ash's head whipped around and he stared at his friend. "You two are  
going out?"  
  
"Got a problem with it?" Gary leaned back, crossing his arms.   
  
"No…it was just a little unexpected."  
  
"Hello everyone!" Liz chirped as she came in. "Ash, you need a hair  
cut."  
  
Ash turned to look at her. Liz had changed, from the preppy teenager  
that scared him, particularly when she was holding a pair of scissors, to  
someone almost like the big sister he never had. Of course, she had  
become to be like that with everyone, even Brock.  
  
"'Kay," Ash replied.   
  
"And what are you talking about?" she looked over at Brock and Liz.  
  
Her boyfriend pulled her over and began explaining . . . something . . .  
in the same whisper he had used with Misty. Liz's eyes widened, then she  
became very calm.  
  
"Wow, Ketchum, when people freak out over you they really freak out,"  
Gary nodded his head to indicate the whispering trio.  
  
"Ash, Gary, please leave the kitchen," Liz said without looking at them.  
  
They decided not to ask why, simply left.  
  
"What?" Todd looked up as they opened the door.  
  
They both flopped down into chairs at one of the tables in the café when  
they got out there. Gary leaned onto the tabletop, making a steeple with  
his fingers. "Okay . . . this is starting to get confusing. They keep  
DOING stuff like this, and I can't figure out why for the life of me."  
  
"Yeah, I know," Ash leaned back and looked at the ceiling. "My wrist  
hurt, for crying out loud."  
  
"And just because your Pikachu just HAPPENED to have sprained the same .  
. . limb as you did doesn't mean anything," Gary's eyes narrowed.   
"There's something wrong with this picture."  
  
"Yeah . . . but what?"  
  
*****  
  
More coming soon! Under a different account, but it's all the same,  
right? Well, review and tell me what you think! (thanks once again to  
everyone that reviewed!) 


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